The invention relates generally to loading equipment comprising a pick-up or take-up means for taking up agricultural bulk material such as grass or hay from the ground over which it moves.
As shown in the Swiss Pat. No. 450,794, it is known to provide conveying means having conveying drums wherein the control of its feed prongs is effected by slotted guide means disposed outside the conveying drum and in front of the end faces thereof, which results not only in a considerable space requirement, but also in that the position of the conveying drum relative to the drive cannot be changed and its control function is very difficult to change and, still further, in that the drum length, for instance, cannot be dimensioned at random. Nor is it possible to adjust the inclination of the feed prongs or the depth of extension thereof into the conveying channel. During the pushing in of the material to be loaded and, in particular, during the cutting thereof, the feed combs are subjected to heavy torsional stresses and therefore have to be of appropriate strength, as the laterally disposed crank arms must be spaced from each other a distance corresponding to the length of the drum. Besides, the straight slotted guide means and the rolls of the crank arms which are guided therein are subject to heavy wear and permit a low speed of rotation only.